An advertisement in which police falsely accused a truck driver of causing a crash is unlikely to cause widespread offence, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled.

A series of YouTube clips promoting a road safety campaign was launched by police last month, with one video blaming a truck driver for causing a high-speed crash by using a mobile phone.

Police have since apologised to the people involved in the crash after it was revealed the truck driver was innocent.

The message at the end of the clip was also changed to "Merge like a zip''.

K Burton complained to the ASA and said the advertisement has caused offence because it alleged the driver of the truck was on the phone and was therefore to blame. However in the complainant's view, the car caused the accident and police should apologise for misleading the public.